On the surface, Gov. Scott Walker’s civil service system reforms seem mundane and, at worst, much ado about nothing.
The bill Walker recently signed into law eliminates application exams, centralizes hiring decisions to Walker’s administration and gets rid of layoff protections allowing senior workers to keep their jobs.
Walker signs bill that will change hiring, firing process for public employees
Walker himself, coming off his failed bid for the White House, made these reforms a priority. And the only conceivable reason Walker would want this bill in place is to more easily allow his supporters and friends to get jobs in state government.
This is cronyism — putting friends and supporters in places of power. If you don’t think this is what Walker is trying to do, let’s take the reforms step by step.
First, the elimination of application exams. These civil service exams were put in place to make sure the best served our state, and held government positions. The tests served as a way to make sure qualified individuals got the jobs, rooting out corruption. But Walker tried to argue the tests hampered the hiring process. He cited an instance where someone who scored extremely well on an exam for a financial position was under-qualified. But if someone scores well on a test for a position, doesn’t that mean they are qualified, or at the very least, have a good knowledge of how to work in that position?
The test did what it was supposed to do: demonstrate the applicant has a good knowledge to put to use for the position. And Walker used it as a shining example of why the test needed to go.
Second, the centralization of hiring power to the governor’s administration. This needs no explanation.
Third, taking away layoff protections bestowed to senior workers. This part of the civil service reform could do a lot of good, but only if it were the only reform. No one should get special protection just because they have worked somewhere for a long time. If someone is not performing well in their job and they don’t make strides to get better, the threat of replacing them should exist. But because of the first two reforms, the replacement may not be better.
Because the hiring power is going to be centralized and because the test to make sure only the best fill government jobs is gone, this last reform paves the way for senior workers to be fired and replaced with Walker’s cronies, or any future governor’s cronies.
If you don’t believe Walker is the kind of politician to put his supporters and friends in positions of power, then you didn’t hear about him placing one of his campaign donors on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. Tracey Klein, newly appointed board member, has donated more than $9,000 to Walker’s campaigns. So, putting supporters in good jobs would be nothing new for Walker.
Tracey Klein talks Regent appointment, wants to focus on cost-effectiveness for students
Cronyism sounds like the times of President Andrew Jackson and political machines in the early 20th century, but these reforms give it new life. They open the door to an old form of American politics known as the spoils system; spoiling supporters and donors with jobs in repayment of getting a politician elected.
Despite what those running for office always say — “I want America to be great again” or “I want the bring back the America of old” — that America was not as great as they proclaim. Politics were more about backroom deals than about getting out the vote. Politics were more about having rich friends than about bringing out the masses. Politics were more about corruption than about democracy.
These reforms, whether signed into law for benign reasons or or not, will bring back that America and ensure democracy takes a back seat to cronyism.
Luke Schaetzel ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in journalism and political science.
